The Joy of Fearing the Lord
Biblical-ly, our reverence for the Lord emanates from believing in Jesus Christ, acknowledging His divinity, joyfully obeying His teachings, and surrendering our lives entirely to His care.
When we relegate God to insignificance, showing indifference or helplessness, only recognizing Him ceremoniously on Sundays and ignoring Him the rest of the week, we become vulnerable to every fear that life presents. Conversely, when our joy stems from revering the Lord, our lives become governed by indescribable and magnificent joy. Why? Because when we truly revere the Lord, there remains nothing else to fear! Acknowledging God in His holiness and trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ, allows us to confront the future with confidence and pride, irrespective of circumstances. This stands as the key to finding peace and joy amid a world fraught with anxiety.
Striving to continuously embrace the Spirit, may we witness reverence for the Lord becoming the ultimate pursuit and joy in our lives.
Caution: To those who perceive the Bible as antiquated, do not be deceived. The Word and Love of God remain unchanged and eternally constant. His love for His creation endures forever.
Exodus 20:20
Moses reassured the people, “Do not fear; God has come to test you so that the fear of Him will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Ecclesiastes 3:14
I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does this so that people will fear Him.
In the book of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord embodies continual submission to God in humility and faith (Prov. 23:17), entailing a detestation of evil and an earnest desire to turn away from it (Prov. 8:13; 16:6). Revering God surpasses all earthly treasures.
It’s fair to equate the fear of the Lord with having unwavering faith in God and responding obediently to His will.
For a concise exploration of this concept, turn to the book of Deuteronomy: “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees” (Deut. 10:12-13). Fearing the Lord intricately intertwines with loving, serving, and clinging steadfastly to the Lord in response to His boundless grace (Deut. 10:20; 1 Sam 12:24).
In Psalms, revering the Lord signifies standing in awe of the living God (Ps. 33:8), glorifying Him (Ps. 22:3), and wholeheartedly trusting Him (Ps. 40:3). Those who fear the Lord receive His unwavering love (Ps. 103:17) and cultivate a profound friendship with God (Ps 25:14).
According to the prophet Isaiah, fearing the Lord involves acknowledging God for His essence and acting accordingly: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread” (Isa. 8:12-13). When Isaiah prophesies about the coming Messianic King with the Spirit resting on Him, the outcome is that “His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2-3; cf. John 4:34). His utmost desire and fulfillment would lie in trusting and obeying the Lord, pleasing God and prioritizing Him would not be a burden.
While preaching to the Gentiles, Peter acknowledges, “I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). For the Apostle Paul, both Jews and Gentiles stand condemned before God as sinners who do not fear God (Rom. 3:18, quoting Ps. 36:1), and the cornerstone of his ministry is the fear of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:11).
In the later New Testament letters, fear of the Lord clearly transforms into reverence for Christ (Col. 3:22-24) and serves as the bedrock of Christian conduct (Eph. 5:21). In 1 Peter 3:14–15, the apostle alludes to Isaiah 8:13-14: ‘But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.” Peter here identifies Yahweh, the Lord of hosts, with Jesus Christ! The command issued to Israel in Isaiah’s time remains the same for the church today, albeit the entity we fear is more explicitly revealed as the Lord Jesus Christ, one with the Father.
